Roll-up coverings for architectural openings and related methods, systems and devices

Abstract

The disclosure provides roll-up coverings for an architectural opening, and various embodiments of ladder tapes. Embodiments of the roll-up covering include a roller, a first outer elongate tape, a first inner elongate tape and a plurality of slats disposed between the outer and inner elongate tapes. The first inner elongate tape can further defines a plurality of collapsible hinge segments disposed along the length of the first inner elongate tape. The collapsible hinge segments can be configured to collapse in order to decrease the effective length of the first inner elongate tape when the first inner elongate tape is rolled up around the roller. The collapsible hinge segments can further be configured to expand in order to increase the effective length of the first inner elongate tape when the roll-up covering is unrolled from the roller.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A roll-up covering for an architectural opening, said roll-up covering comprising:
 a first outer elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first outer elongate tape length, a thickness, and a first longitudinal axis extending along the first outer elongate tape length; 
 a first inner elongate tape spaced from the first outer elongate tape, the first inner elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first inner elongate tape length, a thickness, and a second longitudinal axis extending along the first inner elongate tape length; 
 a plurality of flexible slats extending between the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape, each of the flexible slats having a first end and a second end, an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge each extending from the first end to the second end and defining a length of the slat, an inner edge region along and in proximity to the inner longitudinal edge, and an outer edge region along and in proximity to the outer longitudinal edge, and a width that extends from the inner longitudinal edge to the outer longitudinal edge, the slats oriented transversely with respect to the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape when the roll-up covering is in an expanded configuration with the slat length extending in the same direction as the lateral width of the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape; and 
 a plurality of elongate stiffeners, each elongate stiffener having a length, a width perpendicular to the elongate stiffener length, and a thickness perpendicular to the elongate stiffener width, wherein the thickness of each elongate stiffener is less than its width; 
 wherein: 
 the length of each of the plurality of flexible slats is longer than the lateral width of at least one of the first inner elongate tape or the first outer elongate tape; and 
 at least a respective one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached to each of the flexible slats within at least one of an inner edge region or an outer edge region of the flexible slat, and is positioned with its length extending in the same direction as at least one of the inner longitudinal edge or the outer longitudinal edge of the slat. 
 
     
     
       2. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second inner elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the second inner elongate tape length, a thickness, and a longitudinal axis extending along the second inner elongate tape length, wherein the length of the second elongate tape is longer than the lateral width thereof; and 
 a second outer elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the second inner elongate tape length, a thickness, and a longitudinal axis extending along the second outer elongate tape length, wherein the length of the second elongate tape is longer than the second elongate tape lateral width. 
 
     
     
       3. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of flexible slats is attached to the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape and the lateral widths of the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape are aligned along the length of said at least one of the plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       4. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape are attached to at least one of the plurality of slats and laterally offset along the length of said at least one of the plurality of slats. 
     
     
       5. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein each of the elongate stiffeners is separately formed from each of the slats and attached to a respective one of the slats. 
     
     
       6. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of slats is formed from a flexible fabric material and the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape are separately formed from and made from a material different from the material of the at least one of the plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       7. The roll-up covering of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is comprised of a material different from the materials of said first inner elongate tape, said first outer elongate tape, and said plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       8. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is formed from a material different from a material from which the flexible slat to which said at least one elongate stiffener is attached, and said at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached within at least one of the inner longitudinal edge region or the outer longitudinal edge region of said flexible slat to which said at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached, and said at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners extends along substantially the entire length of the flexible slat to which it is attached. 
     
     
       9. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is formed from at least one of a plastic material or a metallic material. 
     
     
       10. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 ,
 wherein: the at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners has an inward face and an outward face that are defined by surfaces defined by the length and width of the at least one of the plurality elongate stiffeners; 
 each flexible slat has an upper face and a lower face defined by the surface defined by the length and width of each respective flexible slat; and 
 one of the inward face or the outward face of the at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached to one of the upper or the lower face of at least one of the plurality of flexible slats. 
 
     
     
       11. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners has an inward face and an outward face that are defined by surfaces defined by the length and width of the at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners, and at least one of said inward face or said outward face is concave. 
     
     
       12. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein at least a second of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached to each respective flexible slat within at least one of the inner edge region or the outer edge region of the respective flexible slat, and each said second elongate stiffener is positioned with its length extending in the same direction as at least one of the inner longitudinal edge and the outer longitudinal edge of the respective flexible slat. 
     
     
       13. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein each flexible slat has an upper face and a lower face defined by the surface defined by the length and width of each flexible slat, and wherein each upper face of each flexible slat has at least a first of said plurality of elongate stiffeners attached thereto, and each lower face of each flexible slat has at least a second of said plurality of elongate stiffeners attached thereto. 
     
     
       14. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein at least one transverse stiffener is attached to at least one of the plurality of flexible slats and extends between the inner longitudinal edge region and outer longitudinal edge region of said at least one of the plurality of flexible slats, the length of the transverse stiffener extending in the same direction as the width of said at least one of the plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       15. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , further comprising a roller having a first end and a second end, a width that extends from the first end to the second end, a rotational axis, a diameter, and radius of curvature, wherein the first end of the first outer elongate tape and the first end of the first inner elongate tape are associated with said roller, and rotation of said roller about the rotational axis thereof moves the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape with respect to said roller. 
     
     
       16. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , further comprising a bottom rail attached to at least one of the second end of the first inner elongate tape, the second end of the outer elongate tape, and or a bottom-most slat. 
     
     
       17. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners extends along substantially the entire length of the flexible slat to which it is attached. 
     
     
       18. The roll-up covering of  claim 14 , wherein: the first outer elongate tape, the first inner elongate tape, the plurality of flexible slats, and the plurality of elongate stiffeners form a subassembly attached to the roller; and the subassembly is in the expanded configuration when the covering is in the expanded configuration and the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape are substantially parallel along their lengths when the subassembly is in the expanded configuration. 
     
     
       19. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein the first inner elongate tape has a different width from the first outer elongate tape. 
     
     
       20. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of outer elongate tapes, wherein the plurality of flexible slats each have a center located between their respective first end and second end, and a first of the plurality of outer elongate tapes is attached to at least one of the plurality of flexible slats at or proximate of that slat's first end, a second of the plurality of outer elongate tapes is attached to said at least one of the plurality of flexible slats at or proximate of that slat's second end, and a third of the plurality of outer elongate tapes is attached to said at least one of the plurality of slats at or proximate to the center of that slat, wherein the width of the third outer elongate tape is less than the width of either of the first or second outer elongate tapes. 
     
     
       21. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein the inner edge region of at least one of the plurality of flexible slats is parallel to one of the first inner elongate tape or the first outer elongate tape at an inner attached region and the outer edge region of that flexible slat is parallel to the other one of the first inner elongate tape or the first outer elongate tape at an outer attachment region. 
     
     
       22. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the first inner elongate tape or the first outer elongate tape is torsionally attached to at least one of the flexible slats. 
     
     
       23. The roll-up covering of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of flexible slats has an upper face and a lower face defined by the surface defined by the length and width of each respective flexible slat, and the at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is directly attached to one of the upper face or lower face of at least one of the plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       24. A roll-up covering for an architectural opening, said roll-up covering comprising:
 a first outer flexible elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first outer elongate tape length, a thickness, and a first longitudinal axis extending along the first outer elongate tape length; 
 a first inner flexible elongate tape spaced from the first outer elongate tape, the first inner elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end of the first inner elongate tape, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the first inner elongate tape length, a thickness, and a second longitudinal axis extending along the first inner elongate tape length; 
 a plurality of flexible slats extending between the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape, each of the plurality of flexible slats having a first end and a second end, an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge each extending from the first end to the second end and defining a length of the slat, an inner edge region along and in proximity to the inner longitudinal edge, and an outer edge region along and in proximity to the outer longitudinal edge, a width that extends from the inner longitudinal edge to the outer longitudinal edge, and an upper face surface and a lower face surface defined by the surface defined by the length and width of each respective flexible slat, the plurality of flexible slats oriented transversely with respect to the first inner elongate tape and the first outer elongate tape when the roll-up covering is in an expanded configuration with the slat length extending in the same direction as the lateral width of the first outer elongate tape and the first inner elongate tape; and 
 a plurality of elongate stiffeners, each elongate stiffener having a length, a width perpendicular to the elongate stiffener length, a thickness perpendicular to the elongate stiffener width, a first surface defined by the length and the width of the elongate stiffener, and a second surface defined by the length and width of the elongate stiffener, 
 
       wherein: 
       at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached to one of the upper face surface or the lower face surface of at least one of the plurality of flexible slats within at least one of the inner longitudinal edge region or the outer longitudinal edge region of the flexible slat to which it is attached, and extends along substantially the entire length of the flexible slat to which it is attached. 
     
     
       25. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first surface or the second surface of the at least one elongate stiffener is fixedly attached to the at least one of the plurality of slats substantially along the entire length of said flexible slat. 
     
     
       26. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein said at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is fixedly and directly attached to the at least one of the plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       27. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of flexible slats is formed from a flexible fabric material and each first inner elongate tape and each first outer elongate tape is separately formed from and made from a material different from the material of said at least one of the plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       28. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein said at least one elongate stiffener is comprised of a material different from a material of the first inner elongate tape, the first outer elongate tape, and said plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       29. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein said at least one elongate stiffener is formed from at least one of a plastic material and or a metallic material. 
     
     
       30. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first surface or second surface of said at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is concave along the length of said at least one of the plurality of elongate stiffeners. 
     
     
       31. The roll-up covering of  claim 21 , wherein one of said first surface or said second surface of each elongate stiffener is attached to one of the upper face surface or lower face surface of each of the plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       32. The roll up covering of  claim 24 , wherein a respective second elongate stiffener is attached to each flexible slat within at least one of the inner edge region or the outer edge region of that slat, and each said second elongate stiffener is positioned with the second elongate stiffener length extending in the same direction as at least one of the inner longitudinal edge or the outer longitudinal edge of the slat to which it is attached. 
     
     
       33. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein at least a respective first elongate stiffener is attached to the upper face surface of each slat, and at least a respective second elongate stiffener is attached to the lower face surface of that slat. 
     
     
       34. The roll-up covering of  claim 21 , further comprising a roller having a first end and a second end, a width that extends from the first end to the second end of the roller, a rotational axis, a diameter, and radius of curvature, wherein the first end of the first outer elongate tape and the first end of the first inner elongate tape are associated with said roller, and rotation of said roller about its rotational axis moves the first inner elongate tape, and the first outer elongate tape with respect to said roller. 
     
     
       35. The roll-up covering of  claim 21 , further comprising a plurality of outer elongate tapes, wherein each of the plurality of flexible slats has a center located between its first end and its second end, and at least the first of the plurality of outer elongate tapes is attached to the at least one of the plurality of flexible slats at or proximate of that slat's first end, at least a second of the plurality of outer elongate tapes is attached to the at least one of the plurality of flexible slats at or proximate of that slat's second end, and at least a third of the plurality of outer elongate tapes is attached to the at least one of the plurality of flexible slats at or proximate to the center of that slat, wherein the width of the third outer elongate tape is less than the width of either of the first or second outer elongate tapes. 
     
     
       36. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein the inner edge region of the at least one of the plurality of flexible slats is parallel to one of the first inner elongate tape or the first outer elongate tape at an inner attachment region and the outer edge region of that at least one of the plurality of flexible slats is parallel to the other one of the first inner elongate tape or the first outer elongate tape at an outer attachment region. 
     
     
       37. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein at least one of the first inner elongate tapes or the first outer elongate tape is torsionally attached to the at least one of the plurality of flexible slats. 
     
     
       38. The roll-up covering of  claim 24 , wherein the thickness of each elongate stiffener is less than its width. 
     
     
       39. A roll-up covering for an architectural opening, comprising:
 a subassembly comprising: 
 (i) a plurality of outer elongate tapes each having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end of the respective outer elongate tape, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the respective outer elongate tape length, a thickness, and a first longitudinal axis extending along the respective outer elongate tape length; 
 (ii) a plurality of inner elongate tapes spaced from the plurality of outer elongate tapes, each inner elongate tape having a first end, a second end, a length that extends from the first end to the second end of the respective inner elongate tape, a lateral width that extends perpendicular to the respective inner elongate tape length, a thickness, and a second longitudinal axis extending along the respective inner elongate tape length; 
 (iii) a plurality of flexible slats each having a first end and a second end, an inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge that extend from the first end to the second end of the respective slat and defining a length of the slat, an inner longitudinal edge region extending along and in proximity to the inner longitudinal edge and an outer longitudinal edge region extending along and in proximity to the outer longitudinal edge, and a width that extends from the inner longitudinal edge to the outer longitudinal edge of the respective slat, at least a portion of the inner longitudinal edge region of each of the plurality of slats attached to the plurality of inner elongate tapes, at least a portion of the outer longitudinal edge region of each of the plurality of slats attached to the plurality of outer elongate tapes, each of the plurality of flexible slats oriented transversely with respect to the plurality of inner elongate tapes and the plurality of outer elongate tapes when the roll-up covering is in an expanded configuration with the length of each of the plurality of flexible slats extending in the same direction as the lateral width of the plurality of outer elongate tapes and the plurality of inner elongate tapes; and 
 (iv) a plurality of elongate, flexible stiffeners, each elongate stiffener having a length, a width perpendicular to the respective elongate stiffener length, a thickness perpendicular to the respective elongate stiffener width, a first surface defined by the length and the width of the respective elongate stiffener, and a second surface defined by the length and width of the respective stiffener, wherein at least one of the first surface or the second surface of the elongate stiffener is concave along the length of the respective elongate stiffener;
 a roller having a first end and a second end, a width that extends from the first end to the second end of the roller, a rotational axis, a diameter, and radius of curvature, wherein the first ends of said plurality of outer elongate tapes and the first ends of said plurality of inner elongate tapes are associated with said roller, and rotation of said roller about the rotational axis thereof moves said plurality of inner elongate tapes and said plurality of outer elongate tapes with respect to said roller; and 
 a bottom rail attached to at least one of the second ends of one of the inner elongate tapes, the second end of one of the outer elongate tapes, or a bottom-most slat; 
 wherein at least two respective elongate stiffeners of the plurality of elongate stiffeners are attached to each flexible slat, at least one of said two elongate stiffeners is attached within the inner longitudinal edge region and extends along substantially the entire length of the slat to which it is attached, and at least the other of the two elongate stiffeners is attached within the outer longitudinal edge region and extends along substantially the entire length of the slat to which it is attached. 
 
 
     
     
       40. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein each of the plurality of flexible slats has an upper face and an opposite lower face defined by the surface defined by the length and width of each respective slat, wherein at least one of the first surface or the second surface of at least a first of said at least two of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached to the upper face surface of each slat and at least a second of said two of the plurality of elongate stiffeners is attached to the lower surface of that slat. 
     
     
       41. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein at least one inner elongate tape and at least one outer elongate tape are attached to at least one of the plurality of slats and the lateral widths of the at least one inner elongate tape and the at least one outer elongate tape are offset along the length of that slat. 
     
     
       42. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein at least one of the at least two of the plurality of elongate stiffeners attached to each flexible slat is formed from at least one of a plastic or a metallic material. 
     
     
       43. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein at least a first surface of each elongate stiffener is concave and the second surface of that elongate stiffener is convex. 
     
     
       44. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein at least one of the at least two of the plurality of elongate stiffeners attached to each flexible slat has a substantially uniform cross section along the width and the length of said at least one of the at least two of the plurality of elongate stiffeners. 
     
     
       45. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein the concave surface of at least one of the at least two of the plurality of stiffeners attached to each flexible slat faces inwardly towards a rotational axis of the roller when the subassembly is rolled up around the roller. 
     
     
       46. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein the subassembly can be deployed from the collapsed configuration wherein the plurality of flexible slats are substantially parallel to the plurality of outer and inner elongate tapes into the expanded configuration wherein the plurality of flexible slats are opened and each of the plurality of flexible slats forms a substantially S-shape configuration. 
     
     
       47. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein the inner edge region of at least one of the plurality of flexible slats is parallel to one of the plurality of inner elongate tapes or one of the plurality of outer elongate tapes at an inner attachment region and the outer edge region of that at least one of the plurality of flexible slats is parallel to the other of the plurality of inner elongate tapes or the plurality of outer elongate tapes at an outer attachment region. 
     
     
       48. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of inner elongate tapes and the at least one of the plurality of outer elongate tapes are torsionally attached to at least one of the flexible slats. 
     
     
       49. The roll-up covering of  claim 39 , wherein each of the plurality of flexible slats is fixedly and directly attached to at least a respective one of the plurality of elongate, stiffeners.